The gloves I use at the moment are Nike strength training ones.
They are not heavily padded ones but you do get good grip with them. The gym I go to does not provide any chalk and I dont actually think chalk would be allowed.
I see a lot of guys using straps for dumbbell rows or lat pulldows.
Just wondering what everyones opinions are.
I know some people say that if you wear gloves you end up with weak hands etc but without gloves I fear that the weight will slip and end up with very sore hands.

What? BS. It's easier to grip the bar without gloves. At least for me.

My vote goes for gloves, because you shouldn't be lifting a weight if you can't hold on to it (which rules out straps). Chalk isn't really a viable option, is it? Messy, and the constant reapplication..not to mention calluses, which some of us are not allowed to have.

I avoid gloves as much as possible, but sometimes i'll throw on a really light pair (especially for pull-ups and deadlifts). It will take a bit of getting used to, but your hands will toughen up, and yes (sorry Focus) they'll callus a bit.

Focus, when my hands start sweating I find it a total nightmare to grip weights hence the glove. The pair I use are quite lightweight.

Same here. Mine are fingerless and very thin. They're not lifting gloves at all. I can't even remember where I got them. I wear them to cushion my skin just enough to avoid sweat and callus issues.

I have a pair of "Raw Power Nitro" gloves I don't use at all..'cause they feel too thick, and are uncomfortable.

Unless your hands are bleeding, don't even worry about it.

Alright, some chalk for deadlifts would be a good idea.

Straps are ok too, for heavy pulling exercises, but it's a little better without because your forearms will know what's up...

if you have extreme grip problems, you can use straps when it getts heavy, but not for all exersices. but lets say you can deadlift 300 with straps, but only 225 without, then i would go for straps when the grip starts failing. but if you can do 290 without straps, i would not use them.

I used to love chalk. Probably mind over matter more than anything else! Most gyms won't allow it, it's too messy.

I don't use anything unless I am having a real bad sweating problem. I like having calluses though, makes me feel tough.

I don't use anything, though I should get some chalk for my home gym.

You better start sanding those down before you rip one off. You'll be crying like a biatch.

Same here man, i got pissed the other day coz my hand kept slipping and i stopped well before failuire because of sweaty hands

Iam not convinced that not wearing gloves/straps improves your forarms.
I do barbell wrist curls anyway which really work my forearms so its not a big deal.
Personally I think the "skin on metal" mentality is a stupid old-skool macho one, where all you end up with is sore, rough hands (which your girlfriend wont thank you for).

If you got a tough girl she'll love em
that was kinda a joke.

anyways, i lift weights 4 times a week, all times gripping heavy things, no gloves. my hands dont get all sore, because the body has a fine way of adapting, when i started i got them pretty bad, but now you can barley see them.

I recently tried using a pair of gloves because I don't like the sweaty feeling. Turns out I have a harder time lifting the same weight, especially (but not exclusively) with dumbbell curls, and I think it's simply because my gloves are padded, which makes for a thicker grip. It seems my forearms and wrists come under more strain, and so they start hurting before I complete my usual reps. Could it be that grip size really has such an impact? That would mean that people with smaller hands should have more difficulties lifting the same weights, right? As a tennis player, I've always been taught to use just the right grip size for my hand, for control. So why would it be different with (serious) weightlifting, where the pressure can ben a lot higher still (even though you don't get a sudden impact)?